By admin 
Nikola Jokic isn’t your typical NBA superstar. When fans picture the league’s biggest stars, they often think of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant – players who combined extraordinary talent with imposing physical presence to dominate their competition.
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Jokic, on the other hand, boasts a stout figure and spends most of his offseason in his home country of Serbia, tending to the horses in his stable – hardly the stuff that basketball legends are made of. However, appearances can be deceiving, and just because Jokic doesn’t post his workouts on social media doesn’t mean he’s not putting in a lot of time in the gym.
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Jokic is a gym rat
The NBA is thriving in the social media age, where fans can access nearly everything their favorite players do. For example, James hasn’t been bashful about showcasing the work he’s been doing with his Philadelphia 76ers teammates. Neither has been Stephen Curry, who’s in China on a promotional tour with his latest business partner, Li Ning, but he’s still making sure he works out daily.
LEBRON JAMES, JAYLEN BROWN, TYRESE MAXEY IN THE LAB WORKING
PHILLY IS GOING TO BE SCARY.
(via @ChrisJHoops, h/t @Bronupdates)
pic.twitter.com/5xHqNlT8sl
– Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 4, 2026
Steph Curry from deep in his first workout in Beijing:
“Don’t go anywhere! It’s not time to go home yet, gentlemen!” pic.twitter.com/EUdiamwIz0
– aly ✶ (@jinthirty) September 11, 2026
Jokic, though, divulged that numerous Denver Nuggets veterans taught him early on the best ways to stick in the league.
“When I came to the NBA, I had Wilson Chandler and Jameer Nelson, and I really often think of them. Mike Miller was there too, but he was a bit old then,” he
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“They were in the gym every day. Whether it’s shooting a free throw, whether it’s working out, whether it’s this, but their mental strength: ‘I’ll come, I’ll do something.'”
The veterans’ tremendous work ethic and professionalism left a lasting impression on the 6’11” center; it didn’t matter if they were playing heavy minutes or barely getting on the floor, they were going to come in and do the work.
“Very good, very good role models. ‘This is how you should do it.’ You just copy. You don’t need to be that smart. You just copy, and you will, again, through some years, create your own kind of routine, your own kind of path, your own kind of what suits you, what is good for you,” Jokic conveyed. “And even today, if I say, 300 days, I am 295 in the gym.”
Must do something
Jokic has become the Nuggets’ offensive fulcrum, tasked with either scoring or creating easy opportunities for his teammates. However, he still remembers his early days in the league when he followed his teammates’ instructions and just kept things simple.
“When I joined the team, when you arrive, the most important thing is to stay. And to stay. That’s what they told me, too. To stay, you have to do something,” Jokic relayed. “If anyone remembers my first years, I really played a very, very simple game, and that suited everyone.”
“Then when I got some minutes, I really simplified my game, basketball-wise. I’ll do this. I’ll do this. I won’t overthink it. Just in order to gain the coach’s trust so that, he sees, ‘This guy is good. This guy is good for me. This guy doesn’t complicate things. I know what to expect from the man, what to expect from him.'”
Jokic doesn’t look the part of a superstar, and he’s perfectly fine with it. But come game time, the cream often rises to the top – a place that he finds himself at the final buzzer.
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